MONZA BONNET
The Speedwell Monza fibreglass
bonnet has been in production for some time and is certainly one of the
most popular conversion bonnets on the market. Maximum speed is increased
by 3-4 miles an hour without any other modifications. The effectiveness
of this design was
convincingly demonstrated when in 1960 Graham Hill driving the Speedwell
Streamliner was timed at 132 miles an hour over the flying kilometre. The
only difference between that bonnet and the production item were the faired-in
wheel arches. Besides reducing frontal area, the monza bonnet is very much
lighter than the Mark I assembly or Mark II bonnet and wings. Another
advantage is engine accessibility which is undoubtedly a big snag with
the Mark I Sprite. This improvement is achieved by hinging the unit at
the front. A competition version of the Monza
is available incorporating two additional front air ducts for oil coolers. |